Battle of Crécy, 1346, by Loyset Liédet, 15th century
Few royal houses shaped the political and cultural landscape of medieval Britain more profoundly than the Plantagenets. Ruling from the 12th to the 15th centuries, they forged an empire stretching from Scotland to the Pyrenees, developed Parliament, clashed with the Church, fought crusades, and waged the Hundred Years’ War, all while also inspiring some of the most enduring legends in British history.
Historian Cheryl White of Louisiana State University at Shreveport traces how perceptions of the Plantagenets have evolved over time, examining the dynasty’s role in shaping law, kingship, national identity, and historical memory. As modern scholarship reassesses these rulers to attempt to separate myth from reality, White explores why the Plantagenets continue to fascinate today.
10–11 a.m. The Angevin Empire: What the Chroniclers Knew
Medieval chroniclers portrayed the early Plantagenets (Angevins, the House of Anjou), especially Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, as larger-than-life rulers presiding over a vast cross-Channel empire. How reliable were these accounts? White examines the foundations of Plantagenet power: dynastic marriage, legal reform, territorial ambition, and conflict with figures such as Thomas Becket. While narrative sources emphasize drama and personality, charters, legal records, and archaeology reveal a sophisticated administrative state that began to completely transform English governance.
11:15 a.m.–12:15 p.m. Law, Rebellion, and Kingship: What Parliament and the Barons Knew
The Plantagenet period witnessed profound constitutional developments. From Magna Carta to the emergence of Parliament, kings faced growing resistance from nobles and clergy. White explores how ideas about law, consent, and representation evolved during the reigns of John, Henry III, and Edward I. How revolutionary were these developments? And did contemporaries see themselves as defending ancient liberties, or inventing something entirely new?
12:15–12:45 p.m. Break
12:45–1:45 p.m. War and Identity: What the Hundred Years’ War Made Possible
The later Plantagenets defined themselves through war with France. Under Edward III and his successors, claims to the French throne fueled more than a century of conflict. White looks at how the Hundred Years’ War reshaped military practice, taxation, propaganda, and English identity. Chroniclers and poets alike contributed to a growing sense of “Englishness,” even as internal divisions erupted in rebellion and civil war.
2–3 p.m. The Wars of the Roses and the Afterlife of the Plantagenets: What Modern Culture Loves
The dynasty ended violently in the Wars of the Roses, culminating in the defeat of Richard III at Bosworth Field. Although the ending is somewhat obscured by the rise of the Tudor dynasty, the Plantagenets did not disappear from cultural memory. Shakespeare’s histories shaped their reputations for centuries, while modern archaeology—most famously the rediscovery of Richard III’s remains in 2012—has prompted dramatic reassessments. Why do these rulers continue to inspire novels, television series, and political debate? Do scholarly interpretations and popular portrayals necessarily coincide? What is left to explore about this transformative period of history?
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